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Emily Dickinson's Knowledge of the Classical and European Philosophers and Their Influence on Her Prose and Poetry Mary G

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Emily Dickinson's Knowledge of the Classical and European Philosophers and Their Influence on Her Prose and Poetry Mary G University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 1933 Emily Dickinson's knowledge of the classical and European philosophers and their influence on her prose and poetry Mary G. Baker University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses Baker, Mary G., "Emily Dickinson's knowledge of the classical and European philosophers and their influence on her prose and poetry" (1933). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 1292. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/1292 This thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EMILY DICKINSON'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE CLASSICAL AND EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHERS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON HER PROSE MD WEil Y HHi Snily Dickinson's Knowledge of the Classical and European Philosophers Their Influence on Her Prose and Poetry Mary G. Baker Thesis Submitted for The Degree of Master of Science Massachusetts State College, Amherst. 1933 PHILOSOPHICAL INFLUENCES OH EMILY DICKINSON Much has already been said by critics and biographers re- garding Emily Dickinson's philosophy. So far, however, the discussion of material on this subject has been confined to a have given her mysticism or transcendentalism. Most authors philosophy to the entire credit for the Amherst poetess' Blake, the mystic. Ho Emerson, the transcendental i st ; or to influenced by hint has been made that she might have been that she was, other philosophers. It is my purpose to prove of them for their teach- or at least had sufficient knowledge she was uninfluenced by ings to affect her work. Hot that influenced also by Emerson or the mystics, but that she was the classical and European philosophers. Work Done Regarding Emily's Philosophy Taggard and Josephine fwo of her biographers, Genevieve Consolation Upside Philosophy, Pollitt, consider important her disappointment by which was Emily's habit of discounting on her work it is anticipating it. In leading commentaries philosophy of life. (1) often listed as Emily Dickinson's Emerson's Doctrine of Compensa- This theory closely resemble. fullness by hunger." and so it tion, -Know light by darkness, Conrad Aiken says, -She (Emily) is attributed to him. (2) of mystical individualism." became prey to Emerson's doctrine most perfect "Emily Dickinson was the (3) Aiken says further. - 2 - flower of Hew England transcendentalism. H (H) Other writeri consider her, "A symbolist having an environment of spirituality evident; one who found new objects of worship as did Emerson;" (5) "An escaped Puritan. .a mystic; " (6) "A mystic through love." (7) Her poem, "I Taste A Liquor Never Brewed" is compared to Emerson's Humble Bee and also con- to poems by Blake and Heine. (S) Uacgregor Jenkins siders Emily Dickinson as having had, "A mystic kinship with nature. « (9) Emerson one in Of the contemporary philosophers the only be Emer- whom Emily Dickinson shows any interest seems to mention possessing ids son. Emily does not definitely Emily owned a copy of works, but Madame Bianchi says that man of her day Emerson. Ee was the outstanding literary most interested. and one in whom she probably would be lecture in December 1857. In fact he came to Amherst to and stayed overnight when Emily was 27 years old. (10), the Dickinson home- with Emily's brother, next door to meeting him, but stead. There is no record of Emily's of her frequent notes she did mention his visit in one Critics are constantly to Sue, her sister-in-law. (11) and it seems the con- comparing Emily to Emerson. (12). was iaf luenced by census of her biographers that she mentions him in her poetry, him. (13) However, she never ideas to him. nor attributes any of her - 3 - Adler Madame Bianchi speaks of Stanley Coit, a disciple Ethical of Felix Adler, the founder of the Society of philosophic Culture and a forerunner of many modern home. tendencies, who visited at the Austin Dickinson this visit, Madame Bianchi does not give the date of (lU) How- nor does she say that Eaily met Mr. Doit. time in the ever Adler «s works were reviewed at that magazine in Atlantic Monthly, which was the principal the Dickinson home. (15) Thoreau Emily Dickinson Miss laggard feels strongly that philosophy of may have been influenced by Thoreau' s toward solitude. (17) life, or at least by his attitude only twice in the works However, Emily mentions Thoreau -The firebells are published to date: in her letters, Thoreau would wonder oftener now than the churchbells. and in a note to which would do the most harm" (18). the sea shore, "Was the sea Sue during Sue's visit to Heither is a cordial? Kiss him for Thoreau". (19) interesting in that she very profound utterance, but evidently thought about Thoreau. Contemporary European Philosophers with Schelling. Emily Dickinson was contemporary and Nietzsche. European Schopenhauer. Bergson. Spencer influenced modem thought. philosophers who have greatly reviews of Monthly which carried She read the Atlantic - U - while she does the works of some of these men (20), and have had not refer to them definitely she mast surely work; yet no critic some knowledge of their existence and interest to find just or biographer has yet shown enough prose of Emily how much or how little the poetry and fore- Dickinson were influenced by these men, their of philosophy, runners, or members of the classic school some of whom she mentions by name. My Own Research have read all the In order to accomplish this end I about Emily Dickin- available published material by and for the philosophical son. (21) For the background of Philosophy by fill Durant study I have used The Story In an effort to supplemented by other material. (22) Emily Dickinson had for find out just what opportunities have reviewed philosophical study and reflection, I books dealing with imherst records, newspapers, and Amherst during her lifetime. (23) Plan of Presentation outline in the prepara- I have used the following tion of my paper. I. Introduction: in this field: 1. Hecord of work done criticism of Emily A. Literary Dickinson's mysticism and transcendentali sm - 5 - a. Examples (reference* to books and articles). 2. Justification of my thesis: A. Bully's relation to contemporary philosophers: a. Biier son. the B. No interest shown thus far in effect of Greek or European Philo- sophers on her work. 3. Summary of work done: A. Research: published a. Through all available material by and about Emily Dickinson. b. In the field of Greek and European philosophers. II. Background: 1. Amherst College: students of influence: A. Instructors and a. Austin. b. Humphrey. c. Gould. B. Courses offered. C. Lectures given. 2. Emily's education: A. .Amherst Academy. B. Mount Holyoke. C. Books and magazines. - 6 - 3. Other influences: A. Iyceum courses. B. Family friends. C. Austin's household. back- III. Influence of Bully's philosophical ground on the literary content of her work: 1. Definite references: A. To philosophers. B. To philosophies. 2. Pictorial use of knowledge: A. Analogies. B. Phraseology. Plato: 3. Debt to Socrates and A. Examples. European k. Possible debt to modern philosophers: A. Examples. ~ Keats. 5. Debt to the philosophy of IV. Summary and Conclusion. V. Notes. VI. Bibliography. Amherst College with Amherst College", (2>0. "Emily Dickinson grew up with the a Dickinson connected for there had always been was Samuel *>wler Dickinson, College. Her grandfather, - 7 - closely connected with the college at the tine of its founding, and gave of his personal fortune as well as of his time toward establishing it. Emily's father, Edward Dickinson, was treasurer of Amherst College, and his son, Emily's brother Austin, followed him in this position. Town and college were so intimately connected that the two main events in the year were considered by the townspeople to be the College Commencement and the Cattle Show held yearly on the village green. (25) In fact, the only public gathering at which Emily Dickin- son was seen after her retirement was the annual Com- mencement Tea given in the Dickinson home by Squire Dickinson for the graduating seniors. Here she, "Acted in the the part of the hostess, naturally. .receiving darkened parlor." (26) Austin Dickinson Austin entered college in 13U6, and was pledged fraternity, and later initiated to the Alpha Delta Phi Humphrey, the same one to which Emily's tutor, Leonard Austin was had belonged for the preceding four years. students at the enrolled in the regular courses open to until his senior college during his day, but few of them subject However, in year have any great bearing on my . whose connection his senior year Professor Joseph Haven, later, returned to with the Dickinsons I shall take up in the Department of Amherst and held a professorship - 8 - Science at the college. His courses were largely of a philosophic nature, dealing mostly with the history of philosophy and including the Greek and Roman philosophers and such modern Europeans as had gained fame during the preceding century. (27) Heretofore the courses offered under the heading of Philosophy had dealt largely with the mind, and with religious creeds. Courses of this nature taught when Austin was in college were Philosophy of the Mind and Evidences of Christianity. In the course on Philosophy of the Mind two texts were used. One text was known as Brown's lectures, and included in its first volume treatises on precepts, sensations, etc., and in its second, material on general behavior, desires, etc.
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